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4 February 2015, Beijing - Over a quarter of a million people in some of China’s major cities could have their lives cut short because of high levels of air pollution, unless authorities get to grip with the country’s smog crisis, a new study warns.

"One thing that fascinated and shocked me the most was the fact that even on smoggy days, people still lived their lives as usual," said Chinese film director Jia Zhangke last week as the air outside in Beijing was a thick, soupy grey.

Beijing, 22 January 2015 - One of China’s most celebrated filmmakers, Jia Zhangke, today released a short film commissioned by Greenpeace East Asia tackling the health effects of air pollution on Chinese families. The film challenges China to...